5 candidates to replace Nate McMillan as Pacers head coach

2. Alvin Gentry

The Pelicans’ failure to advance in the NBA bubble cost Gentry his job. But he also made the playoffs just once in five seasons as the head coach, with a 175-225 regular-season record. His overall head coaching record, to be fair, is not impressive (510-595 regular-season record, three playoff appearances).

A closer look at Gentry’s tenure on New Orleans is telling though. Anthony Davis routinely missed time to injury, and as he tried to force his way out he played just 56 games in his final season with the Pelicans (2018-19). The team’s second-best player after Davis, guard Jrue Holiday, also missed time due to injury on a regular basis. And this season Gentry was given the task of carrying out minute restriction protocols with Zion Williamson, right through to the season restart and at times surely to the detriment of winning games.

Gentry may land easiest as an assistant coach somewhere next season. But if the Pacers do a fully fleshed out coaching search, he should be on their list of early candidates.